Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the electronic processing and display of projectile ballistics solutions and more specifically, to systems and methods for acquiring data associated with a plurality of ballistics parameters from a user and both local and/or remote data sources, processing such data to generate one or more ballistics solutions, and displaying such solutions including, but not limited to, a graphical representation of approximate in-flight projectile characteristics to a user in an intuitive format.
Description of Related Art
Projectile ballistics processing, involving both computer calculations and calculations performed by persons without the aid of a computing device, is known in the art. In the earliest years of mankind, projectile ballistics solutions were calculated by people using their instinctual knowledge of the laws of motion that they observed in day-to-day life. As time progressed, humans gained further knowledge concerning the laws of motion and the various variables that affect projectile trajectories, allowing them to make ever-increasingly more complex ballistics calculations that resulted in them achieving greater accuracy.
With the invention and widespread adoption of electronic computing devices, capable of performing many billions of calculations per second, it became possible to calculate ballistics solutions, even involving numerous variables changing over time and space, in very compressed time periods. Moreover, as the physical size of computing devices decreased over time, it became possible to utilize mobile personal computers to perform such calculations in the field. Such electronic calculation of ballistics solutions has useful applications in numerous fields including, just by way of limited examples, astrodynamics, forensic analysis, missile guidance, and firearms marksmanship. As discussed further below, the teachings herein are applicable with respect to all manner of ballistics. However, for the purposes of describing the inventions claimed herein, exemplary embodiments will be explained in the context of a mobile computing device capable of electronically calculating and displaying bullet ballistics involving the use of a firearm operated by a single user/shooter. It is contemplated that in alternate embodiments, two or more users could simultaneously utilize the mobile ballistics processing and display system taught herein.
In prior art applications capable of processing ballistics solutions in connection with the use of firearms projectiles, such applications typically utilize a plurality of variables affecting bullet trajectory. A ballistics solution is typically then calculated with reference to a particular shooter's initial calibration of a firearm for a particular bullet. For example, if a shooter's rifle, using a particular bullet/cartridge and a particular optic or other sighting device mounted on the firearm, is configured to be “zeroed” (meaning that the point of impact of the bullet on a target is the same location as the line of sight of the rifle at the target (“aim point”)) at a predetermined “zero” range between the shooter and the target, prior art ballistics solutions typically provide distances (with respect to the target) by which the firearm operator may adjust the line of sight such that the actual point of impact of the bullet will be as desired at distances greater or lesser than the aforementioned “zero” distance. Such adjustments are typically made by physically moving the aim point as seen through a firearm optic sight but may also be made by modifying the firearm optics.
Such physical adjustments to the aim point (commonly called “hold over” and “hold under”) are typically expressed in terms of “up” and “down” with respect to elevation adjustments, and “left” and “right” with respect to windage adjustments. Such adjustments are typically expressed in units such as inches, centimeters, minutes of angle (MOA) and milliradians (Mil). Prior art systems for calculating ballistics solutions typically display such adjustments in numeric form alone for a particular distance to target, or in the form of a ballistics table showing adjustments and/or bullet characteristics for a multitude of target distances. In some prior art ballistics solutions systems, such adjustments for a particular distance to target are displayed within a firearm optic so as to be visible to the shooter.
While prior art electronic systems for calculating and displaying ballistics solutions offer some advantages, especially as compared to ballistics calculation methods employed without the use of computing devices, there are many drawbacks and other limitations inherent in such prior art systems. One drawback of such prior art electronic systems is that they fail to display accurate real-time geographic information pertaining to the shooter's surroundings, which would provide a shooter with increased information regarding his or her location, the location of target(s), and the location of other objects or terrain features in the field that could aid in more accurate bullet placement, and/or assist in identifying alternate shooting locations that might provide for more ideal conditions from which to take a shot. Another drawback of prior art electronic systems for processing and displaying ballistics solutions is that they fail to display a graphical representation of approximate in-flight bullet characteristics (including such bullet characteristics with reference to predetermined user criteria/variables) to a shooter in an easily and quickly comprehensible format.
Accordingly, a long-felt but unaddressed need in the prior art is for a mobile ballistics processing and display system that provides users with accurate real-time geographic information pertaining to the user's surroundings. Another long-felt but unaddressed need in the prior art is for an electronic ballistics processing and display system that displays a graphical representation of approximate in-flight bullet characteristics (including such bullet characteristics with reference to predetermined user criteria/variables) to a shooter in an easily and quickly comprehensible format. As described in further detail below, the inventions disclosed herein provide these and other long-felt but unmet needs in the art.
Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same reference numerals designate the same or similar parts. All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will either be explained or will be within the skill of persons of ordinary skill in the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.